Bet you didn't know: When the Dillas won the Texas-Louisiana League title in 1999, Edinburg manager Vince Moore was a star player for Amarillo.

Since clinching the No. 1 seed in the United League Baseball playoffs in late June by winning the first half race, the Amarillo Dillas have been waiting seven weeks for this night.

The Dillas begin their quest for the second independent league championship in franchise history, hosting the Edinburg Coyotes at 7:05 tonight in Game 1 of a best-of-three ULB semifinal series in the Amarillo National Bank Dilla Villa.

All games in this series will be played in Amarillo.

"It's always exciting for us playing here in front of our fans," said Amarillo Dillas manager Brady Bogart. "A lot of teams don't like coming in here and playing us. It's a positive for us and that's why we wanted to win the first half, because we knew the Dilla Villa would help us out."

The Dillas certainly outplayed Edinburg throughout the season - which ended Sunday for the Dillas on a rain out - finishing 14 games above .500 (50-36) compared to the Coyotes sub-.500 record (41-44).

However, in the 21 Dillas vs. Edinburg meetings in 2008, the Dillas own a skimpy 11-10 advantage.

"There have been several good games between us," Bogart said. "I think the key to the whole series will be big two-out hits. That's how we have won several close games.

"You definitely need the pitching and that solid defense, but our offense has carried us most of the year."

The Dillas finished with a .303 team batting average, good for second in the ULB, and they averaged just more than seven runs per game. Veteran shortstop Danny Bravo lead the league in hitting at .372.

Edinburg counter with the best speed in the ULB, finishing with 137 stolen bases, the only team to break the 100-mark. Coyote first baseman Daryl Jones is a mutli-threat player, having hit 11 homers, collected 53 RBI and 32 stolen bases.

"They like to run, that's obvious," Bogart said. "They try to put pressure on your defense and pitchers. We can't be giving up walks."

Bogart will call on Ronald Lowe (6-1 3.90 ERA) to start Game 1.

"Like I said, we have been waiting for this since the first half ended, and I thought we finished the second half off well," Bogart said. "I know our players are excited about this. Gary is the only player on our team who has won a championship at the pro level."